Will the Enterprise Adopt Ultrabooks?

5. Can the enterprise warm to it?
HP has made a strong commitment to Ultrabooks by bringing several of the
ultrathin, lightweight devices to the enterprise. However, because of the
pricing, enterprises have balked at adopting them. Plus, corporate users are
starting to turn more to Apple products. Still, without enterprise adoption,
Ultrabooks can't become an unqualified success.

6. Macs are a threat

Let's not forget that the first true Ultrabook was really a MacBook Air.
That device, which comes with both 11- and 13-inch screens, is designed to be
ultra mobile and ultra lightweight. It's the best answer yet to Ultrabooks, and
it's wildly popular. That's an issue for Intel and its vendor partners.
7. Consumer knowledge plays a role
The IT community and technology fans might know Ultrabooks well, but the
average, mainstream consumer who doesn't have time to follow the space so
closely might be less aware of Ultrabooks' value proposition. The sooner Intel
connects with the broad population of consumers and convinces them that
Ultrabooks are a better option than typical notebooks, the sooner the devices
can start achieving stronger sales.
8. Remember netbooks?
Before tablets came along and changed the mobile space in a dramatic way,
netbooks were all the rage in the marketplace. The
small, lightweight notebooks were supposed to be the next big thing in
computing, but they turned out to be little more than short-term
contenders. Ultrabooks aren't all that different from netbooks, which means
they could suffer the same fate if buyers in general decide they prefer tablets
to Ultrabooks.
9. Security
In the PC market, it's hard to talk about computers and the chances of their
success and not mention Windows security. Today's consumers and enterprise
users are far more cognizant of the security issues they could face by using
Windows. They need to be convinced that Windows is reliably secure, and Windows
8 might go a long way toward establishing that reputation. Until Windows
becomes more secure, Ultrabook sales could be slower than they otherwise would
be.
10. Vendor support
Inevitably,
a form factor's chances of success comes down to vendor support. If
companies like HP, Dell and others continue to support the platform, it'll have
a higher likelihood of succeeding. But if companies go elsewhere with their
investment dollars, Ultrabooks will fail.
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Don Reisinger is a freelance technology columnist. He started writing about technology for Ziff-Davis' Gearlog.com. Since then, he has written extremely popular columns for CNET.com, Computerworld, InformationWeek, and others. He has appeared numerous times on national television to share his expertise with viewers. You can follow his every move at http://twitter.com/donreisinger.